Abstract

Wales is the first country in the United Kingdom to have introduced a charge for single-use
carrier bags. From the 1st of October 2011 shoppers in Wales have to pay a compulsory five
pence for each single-use carrier bag at point of sale. A controlled field experiment,
comparing Welsh and English samples, was set up to evaluate the effectiveness and further
attitudinal and behavioural impacts of the charge. The introduction of the carrier bag charge
was used to examine whether environmental policies may become more popular after their
introduction and could lead to behaviour spillover (i.e., when adoption of one behaviour
leads to the adoption of another behaviour). The study found that the charge was highly
effective in changing its target behaviour. While own bag use increased in both countries,
the increase was much greater in Wales than in England. The study also found evidence for
the policy becoming more popular after its implementation. Despite support for the carrier
bag charge already being high before its introduction, the Welsh population became even
more supportive afterwards. Although no support was found for positive behavioural spillover,
the study found changes in environmental identity that could produce spillover effects in the
longer term. The theoretical and policy implications of the findings are discussed.